Jakob Greber
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Johann Jakob Greber (? – buried 5 July 1731) was a German
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
composer and musician. His first name sometimes appeared in its Italianized version, Giacomo, especially during the years he spent in London (1702 – 1705). Greber composed solo
cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian language, Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal music, vocal Musical composition, composition with an musical instrument, instrumental accompaniment, ty ...
s,
sonata In music a sonata (; pl. ''sonate'') literally means a piece ''played'' as opposed to a cantata (Latin and Italian ''cantare'', "to sing"), a piece ''sung''. The term evolved through the history of music, designating a variety of forms until th ...
s, and stage works, including the opera which opened London's Queen's Theatre in 1705. He died in
Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (), is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, second-largest city in Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, the States of Ger ...
, where for many years he was ''
Kapellmeister ( , , ), from German (chapel) and (master), literally "master of the chapel choir", designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term has evolved considerably in i ...
'' of the court orchestra of
Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine Charles III Philip (4 November 1661 – 31 December 1742) was Elector Palatine, Count of Palatinate-Neuburg, and Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1716 to 1742. Until 1728 he was also Count of Megen. Early life Born in Neuburg an der Donau, Charl ...
.


Life

Greber's date and place of birth are unknown, although the ''
Neue Deutsche Biographie (''NDB''; Literal translation, literally ''New German Biography'') is a Biography, biographical reference work. It is the successor to the ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'' (ADB, Universal German Biography). The 27 volumes published thus far co ...
'' proposes an approximate date of 1673.Steffen, Gerhard (1966) "Greber, Johann Jacob", ''
Neue Deutsche Biographie (''NDB''; Literal translation, literally ''New German Biography'') is a Biography, biographical reference work. It is the successor to the ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'' (ADB, Universal German Biography). The 27 volumes published thus far co ...
'', Vol. 7, p. 16
Online version
accessed 19 June 2013
He is presumed to have studied in Italy and arrived in London from there in 1702, accompanied by his mistress, the opera singer Margherita de L'Epine. He was to remain in London for the next three years composing incidental music for plays and arias for L'Epine, including that for the 1702 premiere of Nicholas Rowe's play ''
The Fair Penitent ''The Fair Penitent'' is Nicholas Rowe's stage adaptation of the tragedy '' The Fatal Dowry,'' the Philip Massinger and Nathan Field collaboration first published in 1632. Rowe's adaptation, premiered onstage in 1702 and first published in 1703, ...
'', including four arias sung by L'Epine during the interlude. It was during this time that Rowe dubbed L'Epine "Greber's Peg", a name by which she was known for several years. Although L'Epine left Greber in 1703 to live with
Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham, 7th Earl of Winchilsea PC (2 July 16471 January 1730) was an English Tory politician and peer who supported the Hanoverian Succession in 1714. Known as Lord Nottingham until 1729, then as Lord Winchilsea. ...
, she returned to him in 1704, and they took up residence on Suffolk Street in London. He continued composing arias for her and accompanying her in concerts and theatrical interludes at
Lincoln's Inn Fields Lincoln's Inn Fields is located in Holborn and is the List of city squares by size, largest public square in London. It was laid out in the 1630s under the initiative of the speculative builder and contractor William Newton, "the first in a ...
and other venues.Kuhlman, Erika A. (2002)
''The A to Z of Women in World History''
p. 158. Infobase Publishing
Sadie, Julie Anne (ed.) (1998)
''Companion to Baroque Music''
p. 247 University of California Press
The London newspaper '' The Post Man'' noted their appearance together at the spa town of
Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells (formerly, until 1909, and still commonly Tunbridge Wells) is a town in Kent, England, southeast of Central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the High Weald, whose sandstone ...
in August 1703:
They write from Tunbridge Wells that there is arrived there that famous Italian Lady, Signiora Francesca Margaretta de L'Epine that gives every week entertainments of musick, all compos'd by that great Master Signior Jacomo Greber, perform'd to the content and great satisfaction of all the nobility and gentry.
On 9 April 1705, the Queen's Theatre in London was officially opened with Greber's opera ''Gli amori di Ergasto'' (''The Loves of Ergasto''). It was the first opera sung entirely in Italian by Italian singers to be performed in London.
Joanna Maria Lindehleim Joanna Lindehleim who performed as the Baroness (16?? – 1724) was a singer in London who was born abroad. She came to notice in about 1703. She was known as the wife of a Swedish baron named Andrew Lenduss of Lendenheim. Life The details of her ...
was one of the singers. The printed
libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...
also contained an English translation by
Peter Anthony Motteux Peter Anthony Motteux (born Pierre Antoine Motteux ; 25 February 1663 – 18 February 1718) was a French-born English author, playwright, and translator. Motteux was a significant figure in the evolution of English journalism in his era, as the ...
, and on the opening night the performance included a prologue by
Samuel Garth Sir Samuel Garth Royal Society, FRS (1661 – 18 January 1719) was an England, English physician and poet. Life Garth was born in Bolam, County Durham, Bolam in County Durham and matriculated at Peterhouse, Cambridge in 1676, graduating B.A. ...
and an epilogue by
William Congreve William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was an English playwright, satirist, poet, and Whig politician. He spent most of his career between London and Dublin, and was noted for his highly polished style of writing, being regard ...
, both read by
Anne Bracegirdle Anne Bracegirdle (possibly 167112 September 1748) was an English actress and soprano. Most of the plays she performed in involved singing as well as acting. She often performed music written for her by the composer John Eccles, and also sung mu ...
. The opera itself, a ''
pastoral The pastoral genre of literature, art, or music depicts an idealised form of the shepherd's lifestyle – herding livestock around open areas of land according to the seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. The target au ...
e'' largely consisting of arias and duets between shepherds and nymphs, proved a dismal failure and was only performed a few times.Lowerre, Kathryn (2009)
''Music and Musicians on the London Stage: 1695 - 1705''
pp. 366-367. Ashgate Publishing
Shortly after the premiere of ''Gli amori di Ergasto'', Greber left London (without Margherita de L'Epine). A baptismal certificate in
Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants, seventh-largest city ...
, dated 23 June 1705 describes Greber as a ''
Kapellmeister ( , , ), from German (chapel) and (master), literally "master of the chapel choir", designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term has evolved considerably in i ...
'' (music director) in the service of Charles Philip, who at the time was the governor of
Tyrol Tyrol ( ; historically the Tyrole; ; ) is a historical region in the Alps of Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary, f ...
with a court in
Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...
. In 1708 Greber married Katharina Elisabeth, ''née'' von Douven who was probably a relative of Johann Franz von Douven, one of Charles Philip's treasury officials. The couple had at least four children. Greber remained in the service of Charles Philip for the rest of his career, working closely on operas and other court entertainments with Augustin Stricker, Johann Hugo von Wilderer, and
Gottfried Finger Gottfried Finger (c. 1655-56 – 31 August 1730), also Godfrey Finger, was a Moravian-German Baroque ''Kapellmeister'' and composer. He was also a virtuoso on the viol, and many of his compositions were for the instrument. He also wrote operas. ...
(whom he had known from his London days). When Charles Philip succeeded his brother, Johann Wilhelm, as
Elector Palatine This article lists counts palatine of Lotharingia, counts palatine of the Rhine, and electors of the Palatinate (), the titles of three counts palatine who ruled some part of the Rhine region in the Kingdom of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire b ...
in 1716, he combined his brother's court in Düsseldorf with his own court in Innsbruck. The new court was moved first to Neuburg, then to
Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...
, and finally to
Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (), is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, second-largest city in Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, the States of Ger ...
. The Düsseldorf court orchestra was dissolved in the process, but in 1718, many of its musicians were reinstated in the Innsbruck court orchestra headed by Greber. In 1723, after Charles Philip moved his court to Mannheim, Johann von Wilderer was appointed to serve jointly with Greber as ''Kapellmeister''. Wilderer died in 1724. Greber lived on for another seven years, dying in Mannheim in July 1731. The orchestra he led there later became famous as the orchestra of the
Mannheim school Mannheim school refers to both the orchestral techniques pioneered by the court orchestra of the Elector Palatine in Mannheim in the latter half of the 18th century and the group of composers of the early classical period, who composed for the or ...
.


Works

Opera and oratorio * (''The Loves of Ergasto'') – pastoral opera in 2 acts; first performed 9 April 1705, Queen's Theatre, London; revised version performed 1711, Vienna; only the score of the Vienna version survives * (''The Joy of Eno'') –
festa teatrale The term ''festa teatrale'' (Italian: , plural: ''feste teatrali'' ) refers to a genre of drama, and of opera in particular. The genre cannot be rigidly defined, and in any case ''feste teatrali'' tend to be split into two different sets: ''feste ...
; libretto by Giovanni Domenico Pallavicini, overture by
Gottfried Finger Gottfried Finger (c. 1655-56 – 31 August 1730), also Godfrey Finger, was a Moravian-German Baroque ''Kapellmeister'' and composer. He was also a virtuoso on the viol, and many of his compositions were for the instrument. He also wrote operas. ...
; first performed May 1708, Innsbruck to celebrate the visit of
Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (28 August 1691 – 21 December 1750) was Princess of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel, Holy Roman Empress, German Queen, Queen of Bohemia and Hungary; and Archduchess of Austria, etc. etc. by her marri ...
; score lost * (''
Aeneas In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas ( , ; from ) was a Troy, Trojan hero, the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the Greek goddess Aphrodite (equivalent to the Roman Venus (mythology), Venus). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy ...
in
Carthage Carthage was an ancient city in Northern Africa, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classic ...
'') – opera; first performed 1711, Komödienhaus, Innsbruck; score lost * (''The Death of Christ'') –
oratorio An oratorio () is a musical composition with dramatic or narrative text for choir, soloists and orchestra or other ensemble. Similar to opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguisha ...
; first performed 1713, Innsbruck * (''Cruelty Consumes Love'') – pastoral opera in three acts;
pastiche A pastiche () is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking ...
with acts 1 and 3 by composed by Greber, act 2 by Augustin Stricker, and the overture by Gottfried Finger; first performed 1717, Neuberg to celebrate the
name day In Christianity, a name day is a tradition in many countries of Europe and the Americas, as well as Christian communities elsewhere. It consists of celebrating a day of the year that is associated with one's baptismal name, which is normatively t ...
of
Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici (11 August 1667 – 18 February 1743) was an Italian noblewoman who was the last lineal descendant of the main branch of the House of Medici. A patron of the arts, she bequeathed the Medicis' large art collection, in ...
; score lost Cantatas *''Tu parti idolo mio'' - alto singer, flute,The use of the word "flute" (''flauto'') in these scores probably refers to
recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a newsp ...
.
two violins, and
basso continuo Basso continuo parts, almost universal in the Baroque era (1600–1750), provided the harmonic structure of the music by supplying a bassline and a chord progression. The phrase is often shortened to continuo, and the instrumentalists playing th ...
*'' Quando lungi e il mio fileno'' - two singers (soprano and alto), two violins and basso continuo *''Filli, tra il gelo e'l foco'' - soprano singer, two flutes and basso continuo *''Fuori di sua capanna'' - alto singer, flute and basso continuo Chamber music *
Sonata In music a sonata (; pl. ''sonate'') literally means a piece ''played'' as opposed to a cantata (Latin and Italian ''cantare'', "to sing"), a piece ''sung''. The term evolved through the history of music, designating a variety of forms until th ...
in
C major C major is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and its parallel min ...
for flute and basso continuo *Sonata in
C minor C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature consists of three flats. Its relative major is E major and its parallel major is C major. The C natural minor scale is: Cha ...
for two flutes and basso continuo


Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greber, Jakob German Baroque composers German opera composers German male opera composers 17th-century births Year of birth missing 1731 deaths 18th-century German classical composers 18th-century German male musicians